The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) has imposed a gag order on Vic Sotto and his representatives, barring them from publicly discussing or revealing details about the case related to the teaser of the film “The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma.”
This decision follows a request from Director Darryl Yap, who is named as the respondent in a petition for a writ of habeas data filed by Sotto in the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 205.
Yap’s legal team plans to include an unreleased film in their verified return to the petition and is seeking to prevent its public disclosure in order to maintain the sub judice rule, protect Yap’s freedom of expression, and preserve the artistic integrity of the film.
In a three-page order, the court instructed, “The Petitioner and anyone acting on their behalf are prohibited from publicly discussing or disclosing the contents of the verified return to be submitted by the respondent, or any information learned from the case proceedings.”
The court emphasized the importance of confidentiality, directing all parties to adhere to the sub judice rule until the matter is resolved. Additionally, the court directed Sotto to file his response to a motion for consolidation filed by Yap’s team.
Yap has requested that the current case be merged with 19 cyber libel charges that Sotto had previously filed against him with the Muntinlupa Prosecutor’s Office.
Sotto’s legal team has declined to comment on the development. In his petition, Sotto asked the court to order Yap to remove all promotional materials, including the teaser video, and other content related to the film that feature his personal information. He also sought an injunction to stop Yap from further distributing such materials.
While the court granted the writ, it clarified that this only directed Yap’s camp to submit their response, not to rule in favor of Sotto’s demands.
Sotto’s lawyer, Atty. Enrique Dela Cruz, had earlier misunderstood the issuance of the writ as a resolution of the case. The court clarified that the writ simply required Yap to submit a verified return. The next hearing is scheduled for January 17, 2025.
